Don't Be Behind The 8 Ball

By Dr. Stuart Mitchell

Eight legged spider aggressors can put PMPs behind the 8-ball with customers! With integrated pest management skills, PMPs call the shots and win the game against these pestiferous players.

Pest Solution Rx: Inspect & Expect

• Inspect with situational awareness.
• Inspect three dimensionally (length, width, and height).
• Inspect the complete interior.
• Inspect the complete exterior.
• Expect a complete picture of the problem.

Pest Solution Rx: Lighting

• Blue or Mercury vapor lighting is 112 times more attractive to insects than yellow or Sodium vapor lighting.
• Encourage yellow or Sodium vapor lighting fixtures at outside entrances and on the structure to reduce attraction of insect prey that attract predacious spiders.

Pest Solution Rx: Positive Pressure

• Push out ballooning (air current dispersal of spiderlings on a line of silk) into a structure through positive pressure.
• Air intake should exceed air exhaust by more than 10%.
• Air doors can provide positive pressure, air sanitation, heating, and cooling.

Pest Solution Rx: Sanitized Zones

• Maintain sanitized zones by eliminating poorly managed vegetation, woodpiles, trash, unintended compost piles, boards, and other debris along exterior structural grade areas.

Pest Solution Rx: Relative Humidity

• Reduce and manage excess relative humidity within basements, crawlspaces, porches, etc. through active/passive ventilation and dehumidifier systems.

Pest Solution Rx: Pressure Wash

• Pressure-wash the exterior structure to knock down and destroy spiders, webbing, egg sacks, as well as remove droppings and insect carcasses.

Pest Solution Rx: Exclusion

• Exclude spiders by caulking and sealing cracks, crevices, and gaps around windows and doors.
• Install tight fitting screens (including appropriate pressure closers for service doors and quick drop screen doors for overhead doors-while open).
• Install pest exclusion brush systems (can be custom made).

Pest Solution Rx: HEPA Vacuum

• Use a high-efficiency particulate air filtration (HEPA) vacuum to remove and destroy spiders, webbing, egg sacks, and insect carcasses.
• Use the appropriate attachments to reach areas such as behind and under fixtures, furniture, storage, wall hangings, corners, and ceilings.

Pest Solution Rx: Monitoring & Trapping

• Glue boards (containerized or non-containerized) and/or adhesive monitors placed flush along walls, adjacent to storages, and in elevated three dimensional orientations monitor spider species and pressure.
• Glue boards can trap large numbers of spiders and reduce human encounters.

Pest Solution Rx: Professional Product Treatment

• Treat indoors and outdoors with a professional product which is properly labeled for the spider species and environment.
• Read, understand, and follow all pesticide label directions.

Pest Solution Rx: Communication

• Communication with customers throughout the process of spider management can be challenging. On the one hand, it is important to show the value of using professional services to manage spider pressures. On the other hand, you need to establish realistic expectations with those whom have a zero tolerance for spiders.

Pest Solution Rx: Follow-up

• If spider management is done correctly, little follow-up is required until the next scheduled service visit.
• Constant communication is critical to win the game against spiders and keep your customers for life.